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When concert promoter LiveNation sent out a release last week saying it was holding a news conference at Safeco Field to announce a major show, some Seattle music insiders thought: “Great! Bruce Springsteen is finally coming to town after all.”

When the Boss announced his 2016 itinerary, he’d initially passed over Seattle.

But the pundits were wrong. Or at least half-wrong. A few hours before LiveNation announced that it wasn’t Bruce, but Billy Joel, who would be at Safeco in May, Springsteen’s website revealed he would appear at KeyArena in March. (KeyArena confirmed the appearance later in the afternoon.)

Bottom line? Two top boomer acts, both 66 years old, are coming to Seattle this spring.

Springsteen last played Seattle at KeyArena in 2008. This time around, the New Jersey rocker is on The River Tour, supporting last year’s release, “The Ties That Bind: The River Collection” box set, which marked the first release of a brace of songs Springsteen chucked back in 1980 in favor of his double album “The River.” The tour will also feature a full, sequential performance of “The River.”

Springsteen appears Thursday, March 24, at KeyArena. Times and ticket prices had not been announced as of press time.

Billy Joel, arguably one of the greatest songwriters of his generation — if only for such songs as “New York State of Mind” and “Honesty” — is coming to Safeco Field on Friday, May 20.

Since January 2014, the piano man has played 30 sold-out monthly shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden. A show-business anomaly, Joel has not released an album since 1993 but continues to perform regularly. Most artists go on tour to promote a particular recording.

Joel last appeared in Seattle in 2010, when he played a double bill at KeyArena with Elton John.

Billy Joel tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 5, at LiveNation.com. American Express card members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning at 10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 1.

Paul de Barros: 206-464-3247 or pdebarros@seattletimes; on Twitter @pdebarros. Paul de Barros is The Seattle Times pop music coordinator.